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Lang Sias Joins Crowded GOP Field in Colorado 7th Congressional Race

ARVADA--Add one more to the list of Republican candidates for Colorado's 7th Congressional District. This morning at DiCicco's Restaurant in Old Town Arvada, U.S. Navy veteran and former McCain presidential senior staff member Lang Sias told a crowd of about 20 supporters that he was officially throwing his hat into the ring to challenge incumbent Congressman Ed Perlmutter. Sias -- an Arvada resident and father of two (soon to be three) -- touted the need for "mature, commonsense, fiscally conservative principles" in Washington, D.C., as well as for bringing down the federal debt and reforming tax and trade policies. Calling on his national security credentials, he observed: "There is evil in the world, and we can't ignore it or charm it … [Read more...]

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Denver School Board Sees Therapist … Hold the Jokes, Please

Education News Colorado editor Alan Gottlieb offers up a laugh about the new Denver Public Schools board calling in a therapist to help everyone get along. In case you haven't heard, it was all brought on by some low-class politics at Monday's board meeting (H/T Ed Is Watching):As board member Michelle Moss walked up to take her seat for what was to be her last meeting in eight years representing southwest Denver, her newly elected replacement Andrea Merida told her that she would be sitting on the dais instead. Merida, rather than waiting to take the oath of office with two other new members after the meeting, had instead been sworn in hours earlier so she could cast a vote on the controversial reforms. A shocked Moss reacted with … [Read more...]

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The Substance Missing from Obama’s Afghanistan Speech at West Point

I listened carefully to Barack Obama's West Point speech yesterday evening -- at least as best I could while indulging the important concerns of the two Little Virtuses and ultimately having to turn off the radio to sit down for dinner. By that point I could tell the speech had dragged on too long for the relatively small amount of substance it contained. I don't need to go into great depth: Powerline's Paul Mirengoff and Red State's Erick Erickson offer excellent analyses of the politics, policies and rhetoric. (And Don Johnson asks where Colorado Republican Senatorial hopefuls Jane Norton, Ken Buck and Tom Wiens come down on Afghanistan.) Meanwhile, if you want to find the depth of substance on the military challenges we face, and … [Read more...]

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Colorado 2010 State Senate Showdown: An Early Look at Hot Races

Colorado Republicans need to win four seats in the upcoming 2010 elections to win back a majority in the state senate. While such a development remains improbable at the moment, it's certainly not outside the realm of possibility. Of the 35 four-year seats in the chamber, 19 are contested in 2010 (including two for special election). Of those 19 seats: 4 are Democrat incumbents facing re-election to a second term 4 are open seats currently held by Democrats 3 are Democrat incumbents seeking their first election to the seat after filling a vacancy 5 are Republican incumbents facing re-election to a second term 2 are open seats currently held by Republicans 1 is a Republican incumbent seeking his first election to the seat after … [Read more...]

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Memo to Colorado GOP: Court–Don’t Co-opt–The Tea Party Crowd

Update, 12/2: More valuable insights from Joshua Sharf. First, the Denver Post's Dan Haley weighed in on the Republicans' "Platform for Prosperity." Today, the story went national with coverage from Wall Street Journal reporter Stephanie Simon, and a quote from from one of my favorite grassroots activists (in spite of her misplaced football loyalties):Republicans, however, said the platform would prompt voters to focus on the party's message, rather than their feelings about individual candidates. "People can vote for the agenda," said Tom Tancredo, a former Republican congressman who had been mulling a run for governor. But Nikki Mata, a conservative activist in suburban Denver, said that such a strategy misses the point of the … [Read more...]

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“Strange Method” of Cashiers Check Deposit Raises Questions for Stephanie Villafuerte, Ritter Inaugural Fund

You thought Governor Bill Ritter's ethical troubles with his inaugural fund were old news? You thought the saga of Ritter staffer and Obama US Attorney nominee Stephanie Villafuerte would only make one headline today? Well, my friends, things may have grown much more intriguing with the revelation in a new investigation from my Independence Institute colleague Todd Shepherd: … [Read more...]

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Dan Haley: “Too bad voters can’t be trusted with…electing their leaders”

Denver Post editorial page editor Dan Haley and I at times certainly disagree. But one observation in his Sunday column deserves a hearty "Amen":Too bad voters can't be trusted with such matters as electing their leaders. At some point, party insiders need to shed their irrational fear of primaries and realize they can actually help candidates. What's at issue? Well, the sense of unity supposedly fostered by Republican leaders' new "Contract for Colorado" -- er, "Platform for Prosperity". The fact that it was drafted for the party's rank-and-file as a way to determine our candidate for us has not sat well. Especially without a grassroots escape clause. … [Read more...]

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CEA Every Member Option Political Refund Available up to December 15

Update, 12/14: This evening during the 10:00 hour I will be discussing the Every Member Option political refund on the Jon Caldara Show -- listen live at 850 KOA. We'll be focusing on the response of Colorado's largest local teachers' union in the December edition of the JCEA Insight (PDF), just as we did on this recent iVoices podcast (click the play button below or follow this link): Update, 12/11: Tomorrow (Saturday) at 1:30 PM local Mountain time I will be discussing the Every Member Option political refund and other union issues on Grand Junction's "Getting It Right" show with Rick Wagner. You can listen live on AM 1100 KNZZ. On Sunday evening at 7:30 PM local time I will be on Denver's Backbone Radio with John Andrews to … [Read more...]

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A Grassroots Escape Clause in the New Colorado GOP Prosperity Platform?

So some Colorado GOP leaders have crafted a Prosperity Platform and rallied behind Scott McInnis as the gubernatorial candidate. Meanwhile, some in the grassroots remain thoroughly unconvinced and stand behind hard-working longshot Dan Maes. The issue is not the rhetoric or the substance of the 20 governing principles that has earned skepticism or even ire. It's some of the cast of characters involved that many understandably still have a hard time trusting. I'm not all the way there yet myself. What might help make the Prosperity Platform more palatable is an escape clause -- and by that I mean not for McInnis, but for us. So the issue is an agreement to fulfill the 20 principles. What happens if he is elected and then reneges, … [Read more...]